------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAIRCASE - Radiohead ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This tab is mainly for giving my ideas about this song. I used the 'From the Basement'-version for this. So when you read this while in the meantime a new version is released, the variations may be different Update Oct. 12 2011: After watching some more recent performances, I changed the part after the arpeggio's. Use a delay with one repeat (feedback on the lowest setting). This way, you get the sound of two notes. --> Main (verse) riffs e|--------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------| 1 A|-3--5-----3---5---3--5-----3---5------| E|------(5)--------------(5)------------| e|--------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------| 2 A|--------------------------------------| E|-3--5-(0)-3---5---3--5-(0)-3---5------| e|--------------------------------------| B|--------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------| 3 A|-3--2-----3---2---3--2-----3---2------| E|------(3)--------------(3)------------| Before the singing starts, the order is: 1-1-1-2-3-2-1-1-1-2-3-2 Then: 1-1-1-2-3-1-1-1-2-3-2. This second one will become the standard one. --> Arpeggio's. e|---15-------|----|---15-------|----|---15--------|----| B|---------13-|----|---------11-|----|---------10--|----| G|------------|-x4-|------------|-x4-|-------------|-x4-| D|13----13----|----|12----12----|----|10----10-----|----| A|------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------| e|----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-| B|---------------------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------| --> Variation e|---20-19----17-15----14-12-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-| B|---------------------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------| --> The last time he plays this part (at the very end), he goes a bit further down the scale, making it something like this: e|---20-19----17-15----14-12-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-| B|---------------------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------| e|----5--3-----2--0----------------------------------------------| B|----------------------3--0-------------------------------------| G|-------------------------------2--0----------------------------| D|----------------------------------------2--0-------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------3--2-----0----| E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-----3-| e|---------------------------------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|-0--2--0~------------------------------------------------------| --> Tremolo-part. This one is used the first time. e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| B|-10-----8-----5---8--5--3----(5)-1----10-----8-----5---8--5--3----1--------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| Second time Jonny does tremolo picking, he plays it a bit different. e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| B|-10-----8-----5---8--5--3--------1----10-----12----13---12--15----17-------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| It sometimes sounds like he bends a string slightly, or puts a different note in shortly. I don't really know if these are mistakes or small variations. I think you just have to play with it. --> Order of playing: - Main (verse) riffs - Arpeggio's x1 - Tremolo (first bar) - Main (verse) riffs (minus the part without singing you play at the start) - Tremolo (second bar) - Arpeggio's until the end. ************************************ | / slide up | \ slide down | h hammer-on | p pull-off | ~ vibrato | + harmonic | x Mute note | b Bend | pb Pre-bend | br Bend release | pbr Pre-bend release | brb Bend release bend ************************************